Star Wars: Rise of the Sith
by astarwarspeasent
Summary: After one hundred years of peace due to the defeat of the Dark Jedi, a new threat rises: the Sith Empire. Catching the Old Republic and the Jedi Order off guard, the galaxy is now in danger of being conquered by a dark and mysterious force. Thousands of years before the main Saga, Rise of the Sith tells the origin of the Sith Empire and the story of the heroes that faced it.


STAR WARS

Rise of the Sith

Darkness has returned. After their defeat at the hands of the JEDI in the FORCE WARS the remaining DARK JEDI retreated from the known galaxy for a hundred years

Jedi Master ZANN and his Padawan VALEN KOR have been detached to lead an expedition to the planet of MORABAND to investigate a strange disturbance in the force

Catching the Republic and the Jedi unprepared, the DARK JEDI now deploy their massive fleet to invade the barren world of MORABAND with an unknown purpose, united under a new leader and name…

One after the other, the stars and planets and galaxies that painted the cosmic landscape saw their light fade, as countless star ships covered the sky above Moraband. As they emerged from hyperspace numbering the hundreds the sun itself was covered by the sheer size of the fleet, covering the planet underneath in a shroud of darkness. From within the largest of the red-tinted and triangular star ships, a single troop carrier started descending towards the planet's surface.

On the ground, Jedi Master Zann and his Padawan Valen Kor searched the interior of a massive structure for information and objects to retrieve and take back to the Jedi Council. What little was known about Moraband was only that it was desolate and uninhabited, being too far off in the outer stretches of the galaxy to be considered for colonization by any sentient species. Zann, Valen and the team of Jedi and scientists they lead had discovered the planet to be something more. Although most of its surface was barren, it had vestiges of a small and ancient civilization. Most relevant for the Jedi, it harbored a massive structure unlike any other they had ever seen. In many ways it resembled the earliest Jedi temples, in the way that it seemed to be a conduit for the force, though it seemed to serve a darker and corrupted side of it. But, beyond that, it held characteristics that made it something entirely different.

Carrying a bag full of relics on his back, Padawan Valen Kor followed his master to their ship where they were storing all they could so it could be transported safely back to the Jedi temple in Republic's capital of Coruscant. Trailing right behind them was their astrodroid, a new thing in the galaxy, R-B1, strolling along with its four wheels and still to be perfected internal mechanisms.

"It's like I told you before Valen." – said the male human Jedi Master. – "It's dangerous for you to study that relic before taking it to the Jedi Council.

""The only dangerous thing about it is that we know nothing about it." – said the young Zabrak Padawan. – "I'd like to correct that.

"Because we know nothing about it is exactly why you shouldn't temper with. There is a ring of darkness around it, I wouldn't have my padawan meddle with it before having it seen by a Master, even if I think he is ready for the Trials.

Valen stopped, arrested by what his master had told him.

"Will the Council accept me for the trials? I am still not old enough."

"You are already more than wise enough, which is of much greater importance than your age."

"The council might not see it so."

"They already have." – said the Master.

"Then I am ready." – said the Padawan.

"I know you are." – said Master Zann, eyes glistening with pride at his pupil.

"Well." – said Valen. – "If you think me so wise already, isn't it smarter to have someone of lesser importance, like me, look into this potentially dangerous relic before a Master of the Council?"

Master Zann kept walking, silently and smirking. His boy was right. Such precocious talent and brain. Feeling pride would be shunned by the Order, but many things do, and they always keep happening. Human nature, or better yet, sentient nature, can never be truly shunned away. At least, it should not.

Nearing the entrance of the structure, they felt something was wrong. Terribly wrong. First, they felt it through the force. As the shadows of the star ships engulfed the planet, so did the darkness invade their hearts. Then, they saw their fellow Jedi all run towards the courtyard of the structure, while signalling the scientists to take shelter. As master and padawan exited the building they looked above, beyond the pyramidal stone tower, to a sky full of red-tinted star ships, with giant red spheres in the middle that served as command centres.

As the couple of dozens of Jedi took position in the large steps that led to the pyramid in protection of Master Zann, the leader of the expedition, and Valen, the troop carrier finished its descent onto the planet and landed just in front of the stairs. Beyond the pyramid there was a stretch of sand and rock protected by a vast valley of giant uncarved stones. This planet had seen no action for ages, it was about to now.

The troop carrier rested in the pathway for a moment and then its doors opened. From within, three dozen hooded, and masked figures exited and then remained still, gazing at the landscape and at their mortal enemy. Upon their reveal, Master Zann realized that the Dark Jedi had returned, but that name no longer seemed to make sense. The Dark Jedi were attached to what the Jedi Order forbade, they were zealots of the teachings the Code did not allow. But, in many ways, they were still Jedi. These, although clearly descendent from them, were nothing like Jedi. From them emanated not only a rejection of the light, but a newfound adoration for what felt like pure darkness. In them, Zann felt certainty and no volatility. He sensed anger, fear, hatred, and an unquenchable thirst for power. He sensed, also, that whatever beliefs they held they felt they were justified. Altogether, it felt like a new philosophy, one faithful only to the will of the dark side.

"The Dark Jedi have returned." – said Valen to his master.

A sharp mind thought Zann. His apprentice was more than any master could have wished for. Determined, humble, patient and thirsty for knowledge. Perhaps he was so because of his master, but perhaps it was because he was also his father. Taking him for adoption as almost a baby had allowed him to teach him in ways no master could. And perhaps that was the secret to a true Jedi.

"R-B1, get to the ship and ready it for departure." – said Master Zann. - "Valen, what do you sense?"

The droid beeped in obedience and left towards their ship.

"A devotion to darkness. A desire to dominate. I've read plenty about the Dark Jedi. This feels nothing like it." – said Valen.

"It is because we are not Dark Jedi!" – shouted a large masked figure with a robotic raging voice, emerging from behind his fellows. His mask, elaborate and ornate, seemed like darkness taken form.

"We…" – shouted the masked figure. "Are Sith!"

And as he said these words, he lifted his hand which held a dark lightsabre. Upon igniting, a red and powerful beam immitted from it. Following his cue, all others ignited their red lightsabres, forming a mass of black death and crimson fire.

The individual pointed his lit sword at the Jedi and with death in his eyes he shouted, "For the Sith Empire!"

The mass of darkness launched forward, with the masked figure in the vanguard. In response, the Jedi made use of their higher ground to gain speed and launched themselves against the Sith enemies. Some of the Jedi, used the altitude to jump inside the ranks of the Sith. In one singular moment, blades clashed, bodies mashed, limbs were torn apart by the violence of the sabres.

Jedi and Sith alike fell to the ground, with each clash of their lightsabres echoing a conflict that would rage throughout the ages. Master Zann and Valen joined the fray, but soon realized that the tide of the battle was against them. This enemy was unknown, their power unexpected, their reasons and motivations shrouded in darkness. An indomitable anger dominated them, and the Jedi were not prepared. They were outnumbered and outmatched. The force was with the Sith.

Screams, punches, sabres crashing. These sounds filled the ears. In the heat of battle the masked figured found the master and the apprentice. He had been targeting them since the beginning. His gaze seemed to be fixated on Valen, and though the Zabrak padawan could not see his eyes there was an unmistakable connection through the force, through space and time. Noticing and fearing the Sith's interest in his son, he decided to draw the attention back to him.

"Why are you so interested in my apprentice?" – asked Zann. "Ah… because perhaps you fear his Master!"

"Fear you?" – the Sith asked, his gaze changing to Zann with despise. "I fear no one. I am a Dark Lord of the Sith. I am Darth Revan!"

With these words the Darth reignited his lightsabre and launched himself towards the Master and his Padawan. Zann lit his green sabre, Valen lit his double-bladed yellow one. Revan's technique was unlike any other, certainly not like the Jedi. There was rage in his blows, and Zann and Valen found it hard to withstand, but there was also training, perfection, and purpose behind his swings. The battle raged on. The Jedi were falling. With the chaos around them Revan dominated both the master and the padawan. The sabres clashed. Sparks erupted. Sand was everywhere because of the movement, making everything harder. Beneath a nebula of orange dust, they chased Revan's sabre, looking for a weakness. A flaw in his movement. A break in his step. He did not falter. Sabres whooshed. Their light illuminated the dust-filled air. Night-time was upon them, and there were almost no Jedi left. Valen was caught off guard and seizing the moment the Darth pushed him far away with a chain of purple lightning. Valen was stunned. Such power had never been seen. Then, he realized it was over and what had to be done. Sending ripples through the force, holding Revan off for as long as he could, Zann connected his mind to his padawan and his son.

"We have lost, my son. You must take the relics you found and the knowledge of this battle to the Jedi Council. You are our only hope."

"I cannot leave you father.

"You must. You will. Because you are ready. Because you are a Jedi. You may not be of my own blood, but you will always be my son."

Valen stood up, but was unable to leave. He knew he should, he had to. But to leave was to lose his father. That was why the Jedi Code forbade connection and family and attachment. It made doing the right thing the worst option. But he had to leave. To stay would be to die and risk the fate of the whole galaxy. He did not want to leave, but he did. Because Valen Kor was a true Jedi.

"I will save the galaxy for you, father." – he said.

"I know." – his father answered.

Without looking back Valen started running towards his ship. Many adventures had he had in it. Planets explored; peoples saved from countless dangers. It was all melancholy now, a pain he had to be reminded of, but one he had to face. As he reached the ship, carrying a bag full of relics on his back, he felt it. He felt his father's life disappear from the world of the living. He searched through the force, in an instant, and he was no longer there. Only a body. Only a memory. Nothingness filled him.

The Sith had killed every Jedi on the planet. They had found the scientists, rounded them up, and slaughtered them without mercy. Now, they ran towards him. Valen Kor, the sole survivor of Moraband. And it was imperative that he survived.

Upon arriving at the ship, R-B1 had it already prepared for departure. As Valen sat in the captain's seat, he gazed at the empty one right beside him. The little droid reached out, and with a beep offered one of his grapples, holding Valen's hand with it. The ship's engine ignited, and with a thundering roar it flew towards the sky's above, a sky full of Sith star ships. Yet, for all their numbers and might, those above the planet did not know a padawan had survived. With tears dripping down his face, Valen instructed his astrodroid to begin the jump to hyperspace. Inserting commands into the mainframe, targeting the closest and safest place possible, the stars began to swell and dissipate. In seconds, the padawan was gone, lost in a river of cosmic blue, but the pain lingered on. The war had just begun.


End file.
